1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates to decorative exterior wall coverings. In particular, the present invention relates to injection molded siding panels that have improved, integrally formed attachment elements that facilitate easier installation.
2. Background Art
Many types of exterior wall panels are currently known and used in the construction and improvement of residential, commercial, industrial, and other buildings. Typically, such panels are formed from a lightweight composite plastic material and are manufactured using conventional extrusion molding, injection molding, impression molding, and thermotorminy processes. Such panels may be formed in various shapes, such as individual elongated sections similar to standard aluminum siding, or single panels incorporating one or more rows of individual decorative elements. These single panels are often connected to other previously installed, identical panels through a vertical attachment and a horizontal attachment by which portions of the panel to be installed overlap portions of previously installed panels.
Prior known panel designs employ vertical side and horizontal bottom connections that must both be viewed and fitted simultaneously by the installer during installation. A problem with these designs is that the installation of such panels is difficult because the installer can only view one connection at a time. Often the installer will attempt to circumvent this problem by first connecting only the vertical side or the horizontal bottom, only to discover that the remaining connection either cannot then be attached, or will cause the initial connection to slip out of place.
In addition, prior known panel designs have both side and bottom connections that require a precise fit. Installation of these panels with such precise connections is difficult for several reasons. For example, often an entire row of connections must be attached along the vertical side or horizontal bottom of a panel, necessitating frequent checking and adjusting as the panel is maneuvered into its installed position. Also, this problem is exacerbated by the need for such panels to overlap in order to conceal their attachment points because such connections are hidden from the installer as they are attached during installation. The installer is often forced either to position his head in an awkward viewing position near the wall surface when fitting the panel into position, or even to blindly xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d the panel into position with his hands by fitting each connection without actually viewing the connections as they are attached. In addition, this difficulty is further exacerbated when the vertical side and horizontal bottom connections have to be viewed simultaneously when attached, as described above.
Further, prior panels have employed fastener attachments located on the rear of the panel that have no logical relation to reference elements on the front side of the panel. For example, one prior design comprises a series of tabs spaced at intervals on the rear side of the panel that do not correspond to the arrangement of any elements or reference points on the front side. This problem hampers installation because, as described above, those elements are hidden from the installer during installation, and the installer cannot, by simply looking at the front of the panel, identify the locations of the attachment elements on the rear of the panel.
Prior known panel designs have also employed connections that lock firmly into place upon attachment. A problem with such connections is that they are rigid, and cannot accommodate the inevitable movement associated with thermal expansion or the settling of the underlying wall surface after the panels are installed.
Finally, prior panel designs have been difficult to cut, trim, or otherwise adjust to fit into tight areas along a wall surface, such as within the gable of a roof line, or the area surrounding windows and other surface irregularities. Some existing panels may only be cut in certain structurally designated locations without compromising their overall structural integrity. Other panels are made of materials that are difficult to cut, occasionally requiring certain types of saws and saw blades.
The present invention provides an exterior siding panel with positioning relief comprised of external rows of decorative elements that may be used in conjunction with other panels to form a continuous sided surface along a wall. Along the top of each panel relatively wide rectangular apertures are spaced at intervals to receive relatively narrow complimentary tabs spaced on the lower rear portions of an overlapping panel to provide positioning relief. The sides of the panels are also connected by a discontinuous, tongue-and-groove apparatus where one connection is made on the side edge of the lower row of elements and a second connection is made on the side edge of the upper row of elements. These two side connections connections fit over an area of overlap, with one side of the panel underlying an overlapping portion on an adjacent complimentary panel.
The relatively wider receiving apertures on an installed panel provide a free lateral pace, allowing a wider margin for the insertion of the relatively narrower tabs on the lower rear portion of the panel being installed, as the installer cannot directly view these connections as they are effected. These relatively wide receiving apertures are disposed through the panel at an angle that slopes downward from the front side of the panel to the rear side. This angle allows the tabs of an overlapping panel to pass horizontally through the apertures while simultaneously accommodating the vertical downward movement of the tabs behind the rear panel surface. This aids installation by eliminating the two step process that would be necessitated by a horizontally level aperture, comprising a first step of pushing the tabs horizontally through the apertures, followed by a second vertical downward shifting of the panel to move the tabs downward behind the rear surface of an underlying panel.
The tongue-and-groove apparatus, although partially hidden from the installer during installation, allows for the easier side attachment of horizontally adjacent panels because it consists of only two complimentary connections. The tongue-and-groove apparatus further provides for easier installation because the tongues on the sides of the panels are longer than the complimentary grooves on adjacent connecting panels. This eliminates the need to fit the tongues into the grooves along the entire length of the tongues.
The relatively narrow tabs on the rear of the panel are each located directly behind the center of a decorative element. Therefore, although these tabs are necessarily hidden from the installer during installation, the installer, by simply viewing the decorative elements on the front side, can identify precisely where each tab on the rear side is located.
The horizontal tab and aperture connections and the vertical tongue-and-groove connections are not firmly or rigidly attached, and can accommodate shifting and other movement of the panels along the attachment points, while still maintaining the overall connections of the panels on the wall surface. These attachment methods provide a wall covering comprised of a plurality of panels that is more resistant to the shifting of the panels after installation due to thermal expansion or the settling of the underlying wall surface.
The panels may be installed by either of two methods. The first method eliminates the need to make simultaneous horizontal and vertical connections. Using this method, first the relatively narrow tabs on the bottom rear of a panel are inserted vertically directly downward into the relatively wider rectangular apertures in a second previously installed lower panel, bringing the panel to rest on top of the previously installed lower panel. The grooves of the panel are automatically aligned with the tongues of a horizontally adjacent, previously installed third panel when the panel is resting on the previously installed lower panel. The panel is then shifted directly horizontally, engaging the tongue-and-groove connections with the horizontally adjacent third panel.
The second installation method allows the panels to be mounted onto previously installed panels from a variety of approach angles without requiring the installer to view two simultaneous connections. The panel is installed by first initially inserting the tongues of the panel into the corresponding side grooves of a previously installed, horizontally adjacent panel. The installer then rocks the panel into position by rotating the panel in a clockwise direction, and inserting the relatively narrow tabs on the lower rear of the panel into the relatively wider apertures along the upper front of a vertically adjacent panel while completing the insertion of the tongue of the panel into the groove of the horizontally adjacent panel. The installer need only view the side tongue-and-groove connection because the free lateral space provided by the relatively wider receiving apertures in the vertically adjacent lower panel accommodate the wider range of motion of the tab.
Finally, the panels can be easily manufactured using known injection molding processes and comprise a single piece of injection molded material. The panels are composed of a rigid, firm composition that is resistant to impacts on the front side of the panel after installation, yet is capable of being easily cut during installation using most standard saw blades along horizontal, vertical, or diagonal directions without cracking, shattering or otherwise damaging the panel. This ability to be cut in any location allows the panels to be custom fit to cover awkward or cramped areas of a wall surface such as the gable of a roof line, or around and between windows, doors, and other surface irregularities. The synthetic composition of the panel is weather-resistant, does not require painting, and the synthetic composition further prevents the panel from acting as a host for termites, carpenter ants, or other pests.
In one form, the present invention is a siding panel comprising decorative elements, apertures, and tabs. The decorative elements are formed with the panel and disposed in at least one row, defining a front face of the siding panel. A top edge is disposed above a row of decorative elements. The apertures are formed in said panel and disposed below the top edge and on a rear side of said siding panel. The tabs are each narrower than the apertures to provide positioning relief, with the tabs formed with the panel depending downward from the rear side and spaced in intervals corresponding to the apertures.
In another form, the present invention is a plurality of siding panels forming siding for a building. Each panel comprises horizontal upper and lower edges, and vertical first and second lateral side edges offset such that the side edges are discontinuous. Apertures are disposed beneath the upper edges spaced at intervals, and tabs which are narrower than the apertures depend downward and are disposed above the lower edges being spaced at intervals complimentary to the apertures. Also, side tabs are disposed on a side edge, the side tabs defining discontinuous groove spaces. Tongues extend from the other side edge to engage the side tabs.
In another form, the present invention relates to a method of installing a wall covering formed of plurality of horizontal courses of siding panels. This method involves first installing first and second panels relatively diagonally so the first panel is lower and laterally offset from the second panel. Next, a third panel is installed by a series of steps: (A) inserting tabs on the rear the front face of the third panel into apertures of the first lower panel then shifting the third panel horizontally, engaging grooves of the third panel with tongues of the second laterally adjacent panel; or (B) initiating engagement of grooves of the third panel with tongues of the second laterally adjacent panel and concurrently inserting tabs on the rear of the third panel into apertures of the first lower panel, while concurrently completing engagement of grooves of the third panel with tongues of the second laterally adjacent panel.